Going to Qingyun Sect (Heart Sea♂ +1)
The doctor’s words were brutally clear.
In simpler terms—
“Kid, you don’t have much time left. Hurry up and spend all your money before you drop dead and let someone else enjoy it.”
Chen Huaian returned to his hotel, exhausted.
It was already past nine in the evening.
He lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, sighing deeply.
“What’s the point of making money if it can’t save me?”
Opening the game, he saw Li Qingran sitting by the window, gazing at the moon.
She must be anxious about tomorrow.
She didn’t need to be.
Because—he now had 500,000 yuan.
In this game, 500,000 is a fortune.
An Immortal-grade Hunyuan Bu Tian Dan was only 100,000—if he could buy one-fifth of an immortal pill, he could probably buy the life of a Nascent Soul cultivator.
If only he could spend money to buy his own life.
Chen Huaian shook his head.
His life wasn’t a game.
There were no miraculous items outside the screen, no divine intervention to rewrite his fate.
Tomorrow, Li Qingran would return to Qingyun Sect.
And he?
He would go to Tianmen Mountain to film a reality show.
A faint chuckle escaped his lips.
“I still have to rely on myself to change my fate. At least now, I have 500,000 yuan. I can do things I never dared to dream of before.”
“In a way… isn’t that a change of fate?”
His once chaotic mind suddenly felt at peace.
Things couldn’t get any worse.
From now on, every step forward was an improvement.
He exhaled, relieved.
Then, something dawned on him—
“Right, that damn black cat!”
He completely forgot about it.
Dragging himself off the bed, he opened the shoe box.
Inside, the black cat lay curled up, half-asleep.
As soon as it was lifted onto the sofa, its half-dazed eyes widened.
Then—
It immediately arched its back and let out a pitiful meow, limping dramatically.
Two steps forward.
A turn.
Another pitiful meow.
Chen Huaian: “…”
What kind of Oscar-worthy acting is this?
But he wasn’t heartless.
He squinted at the black cat’s limping right leg.
“Hmm… which acupuncture method should I use?”
The Meridian-Opening Needle had worked well before.
There were risks, but—
“I’m already crippled. What’s one more risk?”
The black cat stared at Chen Huaian, thinking—
[Hehehe… This king is adorable, right? Quickly give me acupuncture, so I can recover and steal your magic weapon!]
Chen Huaian took out a silver needle.
“Let’s turn this bicycle into a motorcycle!”
Thirty minutes later.
The black cat sat in stunned silence.
Its right leg was completely numb.
It couldn’t move.
Not even a twitch.
A massive expressionless face suddenly loomed over it.
Chen Huaian, dead serious.
“We are now bonded by fate.”
He covered his guilt with an inexplicably deep look.
The cat’s leg was originally fine.
Now, it was truly crippled.
Chen Huaian felt responsible.
He rubbed his chin.
“Alright. Since you’re stuck with me, I’ll give you a proper name—‘Ba Ji’.”
The black cat twitched.
“Naming a pet means taking responsibility. You’ll grow up healthy, eat what I eat, and no picky eating.”
He stuffed Ba Ji back into the shoe box, closed it, and sighed.
“Poor thing, doesn’t know anything. I’ll fix your leg once I fully master acupuncture.”
Then—
he grabbed his crutch and went downstairs.
Today, he had money.
So instead of just buying steamed buns—
he got a chicken leg.
The door slammed shut.
The shoe box shook violently.
Inside, Ba Ji screamed internally.
[AHHHH! MY LEG!!!]
[Damn human, you just wait! One day, I’ll get my revenge!]
Outside, the city lights twinkled.
Inside the game—
A new notification popped up.
[Your life expectancy: 72 days remaining.]
The Return to Qingyun Sect
Whispers spread through the sect.
“Did you hear? Li Qingran is back!”
“Li Qingran? Who’s that again…?”
“The one who injured Mu Baishuang during the competition. They say she did it on purpose!”
“Wait, isn’t it normal to get injured in a sect competition? Why is everyone making such a big deal?”
“Shh! She’s here!”
A lone figure appeared at the sect’s entrance.
She wore a blue-and-white Daoist robe.
Her black hair was tied behind her head with a white cord.
In her right hand, she held a moon-white flying sword.
As the morning breeze blew, strands of hair brushed against her face, her robe and sword tassel swaying gently.
She didn’t walk fast.
Yet—
In the blink of an eye, she stood at the center of the sect square.
The murmurs grew louder.
“So she’s Li Qingran?”
“They say she was jealous of Mu Baishuang… but now that I see her up close, she’s actually way prettier than Mu Baishuang.”
“Right? It’s honestly a pity she got expelled.”
Li Qingran remained silent.
Her fingers tightened around the Suxian Sword.
The cold steel of the scabbard pressed against her palm.
But—
her heart was steady.
She wasn’t alone.
Even if she couldn’t see him—
She could feel him.
That gentle gaze was there.
Watching.
Guiding.
Even in the darkest hours, he had been there—
When she practiced.
When she ate.
When she slept.
Even… when she bathed.
At first, she had been embarrassed.
But now?
Without that presence, she felt uneasy.
She had become dependent on him.
Even if it was bad, she couldn’t stop.
Time ticked away.
The sun shifted three degrees.
Finally—
The sect’s direct disciples arrived.
The elders followed.
Then—Taoist Qingxuan, accompanied by Chixiao Peak’s inner disciples.
Lu Changtian was last—Mu Baishuang clinging behind him.
Li Qingran’s gaze met Mu Baishuang’s.
Her expression was unreadable.
Mu Baishuang, however, flinched and shrank behind Lu Changtian.
Then—
A thunderous voice erupted.
“LI QINGRAN!”
“DO YOU KNOW YOUR CRIME?!”
